Now is the time to take action to keep our whanau free from tobacco
harm and death, said Te Runanga o Aotearoa NZNO's kaiwhakahaere
Kerri Nuku during an oral presentation at Parliament last month. She was
addressing members of the Maori Affairs Select Committee who are
conducting an inquiry into tobacco effects on Maori.

Nuku admitted that smoking rates among Maori nurses remained far
too high (over 30 percent as opposed to around 14 percent among European
nurses). "We need your help to support Maori health professionals
to stop smoking; to support Maori health professionals to support
communities, whanau, hapu, and iwi to quit; and to pass legislation that
will see smoking numbers decline and continue to decline."

A member of both Nurses for a Smokefree Aotearoa and the Smokefree
Coalition, Nuku acknowledged the Maori response to smoking cessation
campaigns had not been as successful as non-Maori. Maori nurses who
smoked also faced stigma and guilt for their addiction. "Many would
like to quit," she said, "but need supportive programmes to
assist them in their efforts. We know from international research that
what works is smoking cessation programmes targeted specifically at
nurses. NZNO believes this would be an effective way of encouraging
health professionals who smoke to quit. You can help put this plan into
place."

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Nuku reminded the committee of the biggest barrier to health
outcomes in Maori communities--the fact Maori health professionals
working in primary health care services were paid, on average, 25
percent less than their colleagues in district health boards.

"Maori health improvements require Maori health workers, so
whether we are talking about smoking cessation programmes or a
whanau-based approach to Maori well-being, Maori health professionals
are the key to success. Unless we achieve pay equity, our highly prized
and overworked 'Maori for Maori' workforce wilt continue to be
a limited resource, and any new initiatives will continue to struggle
and fail. We urge you to look beyond the symptoms of ill health in our
communities to the cause. Inequalities in the health sector are a
barrier to reducing inequalities in our people."

NZNO would support any legislation that aimed to eliminate tobacco
supply in Aotearoa New Zealand, Nuku said. It strongly supported the
Smokefree Coalition recommendations to the Committee, including
legislative and policy measures that aimed to eliminate tobacco; the
appointment of a Ministerial Taskforce to provide advice on eliminating
tobacco from Aotearoa; the removal of all tobacco displays from point of
sale with immediate effect; and a yearly increase in tobacco tax.